I've hear that there are people who make six figures a year selling stuff on Ebay. Do you think that's really true? This is something I think I would be interested in trying, but I don't know where to start.

Yes, some do make six figures on eBay. But they are putting quite a bit of time into it I'm sure.

The key to whether or not you can do well on eBay is whether or not you can get your inventory at a low enough price. Assuming of course, that there is a demand for your product.

I sell coins on eBay on a part time basis. It's isn't difficult to do well as long as I get the coins at a low enough price. The most tedious and time consuming part for me is the packing and shipping.

Ebay is a good money maker for me i sell scripts and authentic basketball jerseys and make good money as i find rare jerseys all the time and i think 6 figures is more that possible on ebay if you put full time into it.

I guess eBay is like any other online store. If you have a great product you can make plenty of dough, and you do get great exposure since it is truly an international marketplace.

I've sold some stuff on eBay for several times the price I paid for the items.

Tom, I used to collect coins. Mostly American coins, but also world coins. My favorites were indian cents and mercury dimes.

Tom, I used to collect coins. Mostly American coins, but also world coins. My favorites were indian cents and mercury dimes.

I'm a bit of coin fanatic. I collect both World and US. Got quite a few mercs myself. Love the Indian cents too, but the high grade ones are pretty pricey.

I wish I had my coins here with me, they're in storage at the moment. I guess some of the coolest American coins I have are 2 cent coins and a large penny from 1854 if I can recall correctly. I've got a nicely sized vintage Star Wars collection too.

so how do i begin

so how do i begin
I don't use ebay that much.

Have you decided yet on what you want to sell?

I started off selling scripts that i had bought with resale rights. So basicly i started with internet goods to get my feedback rating up then start selling physical goods like jerseys,gaming consoles, and cds.

I've found that having 100% positive feedback is a good start when selling stuff on eBay. And of course selling something that you are interested in, and have expertise on.

I think that's very true, you either need to know your product or you get the product very cheap. I sell stamps to collectors on ebay (cause I'm a collector) and I sell sewing supplies (I sell the samples from my export business).

Some basic rules:
1. Have great photos! They are your major selling points.
2. Describe your items as much as possible (size, weight, colours, age, etc.)
3. Have a catchy slogan/headline (study other people selling the sort of stuff you want to sell; what made you click on their auctions etc.)
4. Be very clear about payment terms & postage & packing charges
5. Do your best to maintain 100% feedback

Hope that helps!

I find the initial SCANNING in of the items (or digital photography) the most time-consuming part.....

While I'm not that fond of the scanning part of the process, I find that the packing and shipping part is the most time consuming part. Or at least the most tedious...

Those of you who are selling well, what is stopping you selling more? For example, could you sell more if you could just handle all the packing etc? Or is sales intake the limiting factor?

Well Cemiess, for me, the challenge is finding products at a low enough price. You have to invest a certain amount of time in each item you sell. After you subtract ebay fees, was a dollar or less profit worth that time? There are ways to streamline it, i.e. labelling equipment, auction listing software, etc., but in the end, I think the only way to make it worthwhile is to be able to buy really low.

Also, I'm not the type that does well with tedious, repetetive tasks. For some, that kind of thing is no problem. But for me, if I'm gonna go through the stress of doing that stuff, I want a pretty impressive profit margin. :)

Also, I'm not the type that does well with tedious, repetetive tasks. For some, that kind of thing is no problem. But for me, if I'm gonna go through the stress of doing that stuff, I want a pretty impressive profit margin. :)

Boy, I am great with all that tedious stuff. I like mindless work. Maybe that is why I am unsuccessful :hopeless:

Well I didn't mean it like that. :D

What I meant was that that kind of work tends to stress me out, whereas it doesn't bother most people. :)

I know. :D

I am lucky I can tolerate that type of work. Actually, when I was younger, I hated the tedium of it; now that I am older, I seem to not mind it as much. I do accounting work, and that can be very tedious. I do like working out methods for people to save money; the work has been rewarding.

Actually, I would love to hook up with someone who knows how to buy and sell on ebay, and then I would do all the manual labor: packing, label, runs to P.O., etc. for a small fee. ;)

Actually, I would love to hook up with someone who knows how to buy and sell on ebay, and then I would do all the manual labor: packing, label, runs to P.O., etc. for a small fee. ;)
Why settle for one person? Offer your services as a sub contractor for many ebay firms!

Ok it might be done already but it's an idea!

Thank you for the idea, and it is a good one. :)

I would like to meet someone in my home town (Chesterfield) who is involved in an ebay business; it would be easier to pick up sale items for shipping. I would only want to work for one or two, as I am busy with other stuff.

Of course, you could arrange that everything gets sent straight to you rather than them, meaning you stock all their goods too. That way they do all the marketing, selling and risking, and you do all their leg work for them! Everybody wins!

I'm sure there would be a market for that kind of service.

You can definitely make a lot of money on eBay. Just sell little stuff in the beginning to build your feedback score. People trust people with high scores and not low scores. Be diligent about shipping quickly because many buyers read the feedback comments. Then, find the product you want to sell.

I usually just sell during the Christmas season and this past season, I've pulled in 35k w/ 250k in sales on eBay. I buy many things after christmas and just sell it the next season. IE: I bought some elmo's that were on sale on a website for 3 dollars each w/ a $24.99 retail price. They will sell for at least 10 this year. I do the toy industry and I try to pick out the hot toy and buy them. Hot or cheap toys work best because many people shop on eBay during the christmas season. The rest of the year, I just work on websites and google adsense.

You can definitely make a lot of money on eBay. Just sell little stuff in the beginning to build your feedback score. People trust people with high scores and not low scores. Be diligent about shipping quickly because many buyers read the feedback comments. Then, find the product you want to sell.

I usually just sell during the Christmas season and this past season, I've pulled in 35k w/ 250k in sales on eBay. I buy many things after christmas and just sell it the next season. IE: I bought some elmo's that were on sale on a website for 3 dollars each w/ a $24.99 retail price. They will sell for at least 10 this year. I do the toy industry and I try to pick out the hot toy and buy them. Hot or cheap toys work best because many people shop on eBay during the christmas season. The rest of the year, I just work on websites and google adsense.

I wish Beanie babies were still popular. You cannot even give them away on ebay. ;)

Thanks for this thread. Please is there a way I can sell on ebay without my own inventory? I learnt some people bid on other people's product and sell it off without even laying their hands on the goods. How true is this? How can i do it if I want to?

Thanks.

Bola

Yes that is possible, but usually you have to be a member of that program. Also sometimes you have a limited choice of merchandise, and you can get stuck with unpopular items if you sign any contracts.